Frankenstein

What can be said about the 1931 horror classic Frankenstein that hasn’t alrady been said before? Not only did it launch the career of horror icon Boris Karloff, but coming quick on the heels of Dracula released only months earlier, it also cemented Universal as THE studio for serious horror for decades to come. A bit of trivia — James Whale, the director, was openly gay throughout his career, something that was very rare in the 1920s and 1930s. Colin Clive, the actor who played Dr. Frankenstein was also rumored to be bisexual and there was tabloid gossip of a romance between the two. Apparently this spilled over on the set with a running joke between the two during the production of Frankenstein and it’s sequel, Bride of Frankenstein — the joke centered around the movie’s plot being an alternative means for gay men to reproduce! I imagine their dry, irreverent joke is probably still lost on many folks today…

This Belgian poster with art by Bos has an awesome image of Frankenstein’s monster! Although, it appears they used Glen Strange — the actor who took over for Boris Karloff in some of the later films — as inspiration!